1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle running control apparatus and a program therefor.
2. Description of Related Art
There is known a vehicle running control apparatus configured to run an own vehicle maintaining a set following distance to a preceding vehicle while the preceding vehicle is being detected, and accelerate the own vehicle at a set acceleration after the preceding vehicle is not detected any more due to changing lanes of the preceding vehicle (normal disappearance) or becoming incapable of detecting the preceding vehicle although the preceding vehicle is still present (abnormal disappearance or lost).
Japanese Patent No. 3132430 describes such a vehicle running control apparatus. The vehicle running control apparatus described in this patent document is configured to suppress acceleration of an own vehicle after a preceding vehicle is lost until the own vehicle reaches the position at which the preceding vehicle was lost for safety purpose.
However, according to the vehicle running control apparatus described in the above patent document, even if the preceding vehicle is lost at a position far from the own vehicle, and accordingly it is not necessary to suppress acceleration of the own vehicle, the own vehicle is suppressed from being accelerated without exception.